Right Behind You
by Merry Mischief
Summary: When confronted by a figure from her past, M'gann must decide where her loyalties lie.
1. Chapter 1: M'orzz

**This is my first story, so be kind. I realize some characters may be OOC, but the story works that way.**

**By the way, anything in parentheses is another language, since I don't feel like making up Martian languages.**

The nervous feeling she'd felt all day only crescendoed when they entered the run-down warehouse. The place was packed, wall-to-wall, with all sorts of humanoid anomalies. Screaming, drinking, betting, cheering, and everyone crowded around a central point led to only one explanation:

"It's a meta-human fighting ring."

M'gann had seen them before, on Mars. When they would camp in the larger bases, most soldiers would pass their time in such a manner. She was no exception. Old habits were hard to break, and she felt herself itching to join in the barbaric entertainment. However, that was a part of her life that she strived to leave behind. No, not behind. She could never leave her past behind; it made her who she was. But she wanted to _hide_ her past. Nobody needed to know where she really came from. Even admitting that she knew what a meta-human fight ring _was_… well, she was lucky nobody else caught her slip.

An opportunity arose for her thirst for a brawl to be satisfied when the team split up. _One quick fight, _she thought to herself. _One quick fight, and no one will know the better._

Just to be sure, though, she shifted herself into a form that her friends wouldn't recognize. Pure white skin, blood red eyes, her hair longer and more vibrantly red, and her lips red to match. Typical brawling attire consisted of as little actual clothing as possible. Males usually wore shorts without shirts, and females wore nothing more than shorts and a short-cut top. Shoes were considered an advantage, since weapons could be concealed within. M'gann's clothes were shifted to match these requirements, and she quickly signed herself up for the next match.

When she entered the ring across from her opponent, she knew she had made a mistake. He was a huge, hulking, blue-skinned creature with horns sticking from the top of his head. An opponent such as he would be no quick task. She kept her face calm yet fierce, slightly snarling and baring her teeth for show. _I'm better than you_. Her face said. By showing a sign of confidence, her calm demeanor, and mixing it with a show of ferocity, her expression, she hoped to give off an air of sureness. It was a technique that she had learned from her captain years ago; you must go into a fight like you are going to win. The biggest mistake that can be made is playing down to your opponent's level.

From behind the wall separating the spectators from the spectated, a man acting as referee called the start. Immediately, the blue being roared and charged. He was fast, definitely, especially considering his size, and M'gann had to leap to get out of his path. He definitely had an advantage with his size, taking up a good portion of the fight ring just by standing. He constantly turned and charged, hoping to catch the Martian off guard, and M'gann found that she couldn't prepare an attack for the constant dodging. Finally, she managed to get behind him and land some proper hits to his back and arms, which he then retaliated with some jabs of his own. The fight was getting nowhere, and her time was running out. She could see Robin jumping from the rafters, Wally speeding by, Conner, Artemis and Kaldur watching from the shadows. Thankfully, none of them could guess who was really in the ring. They all must think that she was taking a while with her own observations. However, she realized that she should end the fight, now.

M'gann raised her hands in defeat. "That's it. I'm done."

The blue creature looked on with confusion. M'gann tried again, in another language; "(I am done. You're the winner.)"

The blue being only snarled at this, and replied; "(No. This isn't over.)" M'gann continued to walk away, but the other wasn't finished with her yet. He lunged forward, his fist connecting with the middle of her back, sending her flying. Her face and upper torso slammed into the wall of the ring. She slid to the floor, her head reeling from impact. She struggled to her feet, sighing. Now was the time to get serious. She quickly spun, aiming a kick for his head. He raised an arm to block, just like she thought he would, and he grabbed her ankle. She swung in his grasp, jamming both of her elbows into his gut. He let go of her foot, and she made sure to bring it down on his head before she landed on the ground. From there, she swung her legs to trip him. She sprung to her feet, but he caught her arm. She quickly rearranged herself so she could lean on his arm, twisting it until she dislocated his shoulder. From there, she aimed two quick jabs to his neck, locating pressure points almost identical to that of a human's. For good measure, another kick to the back managed to crack a few of his ribs. He collapsed, moaning in pain, and M'gann walked out of the ring. The warehouse was crowded enough that she could find a place to tend to her slight wounds without her friends looking for her.

She found a corner to sit in and collapsed, sighing with relief. After making sure nobody was watching her, she closed her eyes, trying to calm her thumping heart. At the same time, she was trying to ignore the feeling that fighting had brought up in her. Too many memories surfaced, memories of who she was and what she did before arriving on Earth. While not all of the memories were happy, they were all valuable. No matter what she did on Earth, there was always something inside of her that longed for her old life.

While she contemplated these feelings, someone approached her. A well-built person, obviously in great shape, but using a cane, which implied some sort of long-term injury. He held a bottle and rag in the hand that wasn't holding the cane. He stopped in front of the white Martian. "Impressive. Who taught you to fight like that?"

M'gann looked up into the face of the man before her, his red eyes and white skin of the same origin as her own. His voice, attire, and cane only helped her in recognizing him.

She smiled. "I learned from the best, Captain."

**Please review. This will either be a two- or three- shot.**


	2. Chapter 2: Macl'nn

**So, after a great bolt of inspiration struck, I decided that flashbacks would be needed in this story. However, after beginning this chapter, I realized just how **_**long **_**said flashbacks would be. I was caught between either writing an extensively long chapter, or cutting the chapter short at a good stopping point, and leaving you with an inconclusive ending until the next update. The second option was just **_**so **_**appealing.**

The new captain strode confidently onto the Observation Dock. Already present were two other captains, both highly decorated. Neither acknowledged the new arrival until he spoke first;

"Sh'parr. Col'nn." He addressed each with a nod. One captain, Col'nn, returned the nod, but Sh'parr showed no sign that he had heard the young captain, only intensifying his gaze at the training field below. The new captain joined the other two men at the window, observing the actions of the fifty-plus new recruits assembled below. The newcomers varied in size and shape, ranging from short and scrawny to large and built, and every possible combination in between. On Mars, a soldier was not judged by their appearances, but by their skill. The group, however varied, showed no discernible difference from the other new recruits that the captain had seen in the past few months. He struggled to see exactly what had caught a hardened veteran like Sh'parr's eye.

"Is that," the new captain tried to hide his incredulity, "A _girl_?"

Col'nn stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Exactly. It's K'sonn'dir's daughter."

"K'sonn'dir's _daughter_?" the captain asked skeptically. K'sonn'dir M'orzz was a legend throughout the branches of the White Martian militia. The new captain had even had the honor of meeting the man face-to-face on a few occaisions. K'sonn'dir had already sent his nine eldest sons through the ranks of the militia. Seven of them became decorated and honored generals. The other two received the highest honors for committing the ultimate sacrifice for the White Martian's cause. While the man also had quite a few daughters, many of whom had moved on to become great faces in government and media, this was the first _anyone_ had heard of a daughter joining the militia.

"Yes! What was he _thinking_?" Sh'parr turned from the window and threw his hands into the air. "Nobody's going to take us seriously. I mean, a _female_ in the militia?"

Sh'parr continued his rant, but the younger captain wasn't listening. He directed his full attention towards the small girl with the bright red hair. If he had to guess, he'd say she was nearing her thirteenth birthday. She was small, but she fought with the skill that could only come from years of training, most likely under K'sonn'dir's watchful eye. She had _drive_, something that set her apart from the others around her on the grounds. She knew that nobody would take her seriously. She had to show them just how serious she was, all of the time. It was proof enough that she was even _here_. Most women that joined the fighting forces never made it past being foot soldiers. Reaching the selection phase for the special forces groups was a feat in itself.

It was then that he decided. "I don't know quite _what_ K'sonn'dir was thinking…" he turned his gaze towards the elder captains behind him, "But _I'm _thinking I'll take her."

The two others were shocked into silence. "You_ can't _be serious." Col'nn said.

The new captain shrugged. "Why not? I need at least one more for my task force. Besides… there's something about her. Maybe you don't see it. But I do. She has what it takes."

Col'nn leaned against the wall, contemplating the words just spoken. Sh'parr, however, was fuming. "You really think a _female_ will make it in special forces? Let me tell you something, _Captain_…"

"Cr'taar Macl'nn." Macl'nn knew that professional titles among equals was unnecessary. Sh'parr had only exaggerated the use of _Captain_ to mock the fact that Macl'nn was new.

"_Captain Cr'taar Macl'nn._ Let me tell you something. You take that girl into your force, you're a laughing stock. A team is only as strong as its weakest link, and you've just set your team on a crash-course for failure. I'll give you _one_ chance to reconsider your decision."

Macl'nn held Sh'parr's gaze. "She's on my task force. Send the notice, and tell her that the air-lift will leave for base camp at 0500 tomorrow morning."

Macl'nn turned on his heels and strode out of the Observation Deck, the same air of confidence surrounding him as when he entered.

* * *

><p>"Listen up! Fip's men will be here in three hours! We have a mission that will take the fire power of two squads. All of my men report to the briefing area!" Macl'nn's commanding voice echoed over the loudspeakers of the camp. His force had set up a temporary base camp alongside three other forces, each on separate tracks for separate missions. The brawl that M'gann had been partaking in, between a fellow force member and herself, came to an abrupt halt when the message reached their ears. She shook hands with her opponent, a larger Martian by the name of "Laan", and resolved to finish the match later.<p>

Little did M'gann know, later would never come.

**Well, it's more appealing for me, leaving the story like this. Considering how long the flashbacks will be, in addition to the original intended length of the story, this will now be a four- or five- shot. Honestly, how long does a fanfiction have to be before you stop considering the "chapters" as "shots"?**

**On an unrelated note, I had one **_**small**_** technical error in my previous chapter, an error that I hope to be fixed by the time anyone reads this. When M'gann addresses the figure, she calls him "captain". However, unless preceded by an adjective that would generalize the title (which was not, by the way, the case), the term "captain" should have been capitalized. **

**As always, reviews are welcome. **


	3. Chapter 3: J'ronn

**So, for some reason, Chapter Two wasn't "bumped", or whatever you call it when the story moves to the top of the list. Strange.**

**Anyway, I'm hoping that this chapter is "bumped", but you'll need to read Chapter Two to get a hold on what's going on.**

**Just assume that everything in the flashbacks is being spoken in Martian, unless otherwise specified. Trying to put parentheses around every line of dialogue for the number of chapters this flashback may take is tedious.**

"Fip", real name Fil'pp, was a friend of Macl'nn's from his early days in the militia. Both men had risen through the ranks at about the same pace, which meant that they were often treated the same way. Finding comfort in someone who understood exactly what the other was going through helped the two to form a brotherly bond. That was why, when asked who he would like to help on this high-profile mission, Fip automatically chose Macl'nn.

Upon entering the briefing tent, Fip automatically steered towards Macl'nn. The men greated each other with a brotherly embrace, quickly falling into step with stories of the "younger days". The men who had entered behind him, members of Fip's own force, quickly intermingled with the members of Macl'nn's force. One man in particular was singled out by the captains.

"J'ronn. Come here." Fip beckoned another soldier near. J'ronn was about Macl'nn's height, though he was thinner than the other captain. He sported a full beard, and his hair color was a dirty blonde, in contrast to Macl'nn's dark, unshaven facial hair. Fip, who was clean-shaven, himself, wrapped an arm around J'ronn's shoulders amiably. "My second-in-command." Fip told Macl'nn. "I've never seen a man more dedicated and hardworking than J'ronn." A slight smile played across J'ronn's face, though he tried to put a professional front before Macl'nn. He shrugged off Fip's arm.

Fip gave a short recount of his recent ventures, before addressing a rumor he had heard "through the grapevine".

"But what," Fip leaned forward, "Of your new recruit?"

J'ronn had also heard of the rumor of Macl'nn recruiting a girl, the daughter of K'sonn'dir, into his force. A quick scan of the room proved this. She wasn't hard to spot, being the smallest one there. Her bright red hair only helped locate her.

"Yes, M'gann M'orzz. She's good, you'll see soon. She's got her father's drive, and his shot, as well. M'orzz!" Macl'nn barked over his shoulder. The girl was at Macl'nn's side in an instant. "This is Fip, and his second-in-command, J'ronn." Macl'nn went back to addressing Fip. "She's sharp and quick on the battlefield. Her father taught her some of the most important basic things you'd need to know in a fight. Of course, I've still got a few tricks to teach her, but she's got real promise." M'gann looked at the floor, blushing.

"Well," Fip clapped his hands once. "We've wasted enough time here. We'll need to separate into groundworkers and sharpshooters. Your best shooters, your stealthiest soldiers, for one team. Those who are good for close combat, the other team. I'll sort my men as well."

* * *

><p>The two teams split into separate air-lifts. M'gann was in the lift with the rest of the sharpshooters. They would be stationed atop the cliffs of the ravine above the village where the mission would take place. It bothered her that the sharpshooters weren't told of the mission's purpose. <em>What if I shoot at something I'm not supposed to shoot at?<em> She drummed her fingers on the metal bench, sighing her agitation. She wanted to know. It wasn't a good feeling, being left in the dark.

A movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention; J'ronn had just re-entered the main area after discussing something with Macl'nn in the cockpit. He sat on the bench opposite her, inspecting his weapon for the job to come. She stood and approached him.

"Sir-"

"M'orzz, I know Fip said I was his second-in-command, but you and I are still the same rank. You can just call me J'ronn." J'ronn cut M'gann off without looking up from his weapon.

M'gann simply continued on with her statement. "Since it seems that Fip places so much trust in you, you must know what this mission is for."

J'ronn met her eyes. "I do." He wasn't sure if anyone else was supposed to know about the mission, but since Macl'nn placed so much trust in her, he made the decision. "Did you hear about the South Capital mission?"

M'gann nodded, the title bringing forth an event in her mind, one that her captain had told the force about. "Captain N'kai's team tried to infiltrate the South Capital base. They were ambushed on the outskirts of M'condr'y, a small town not far from the base itself. Many were injured. One was killed."

"No." J'ronn interrupted, a bit harshly. "Not killed. Captured. The body of Lieutenant J'kob G'ro'gnn was never found, nor were there any definite signs that he had, in fact, been killed. N'kai recently received intel from an inside source confirming that G'ro'gnn is alive." J'ronn lowered his gaze to his weapon. "But not for long. They've been 'interrogating' him, torturing him for information. But N'kai's men are strong. G'ro'gnn wouldn't break. So now, they've been taking him from safe house to safe house, transporting him to the capital. There, he will be executed." He stopped examining his gun and closed up all compartments with a flick of his wrist. "That is, unless we get to him first."

**This is going to be longer, again. This is a miserably long flashback, so I hope it's entertaining. I'm just trying to find good stopping points in the flashback without giving too much away. **

**Review, please.**


	4. Chapter 4: Fil'pp

**Another little technicality: When I said M'gann was nearing her thirteenth, I was working on the assumption that one Mars year is equal to three Earth years. So, by the time she comes to Earth, she's been in the special forces for around nine or ten Earth years. I don't know if you guys care, but it was bothering me.**

"_Hold fire until you see the groundsmen make their move."_ Macl'nn said over the communicator. Since mind-communications were easy to intercept, both the White and Green forces had resorted to more Earth-based technology for warfare. M'gann was lying flat on her stomach, gun at her side. J'ronn, who was lying a few yards away from her at his own watch point, slid the binoculars over to her. She raised the Earth contraptions to her eyes and focused on the village below. There was a slight threat of civilian interference in the mission, which was most likely why the Green army had chosen this place for their safe house. M'gann watched as the civilians milled about their town, closing up shop for the coming night. However, she could also see the Green soldiers setting up for a night watch. There were bound to be more of them inside the buildings, waiting for any sign of enemy contact.

Boy, were they about to get it.

A flash of light signaled the preparation of the groundsmen. M'gann passed the binoculars back to J'ronn, who quickly pocketed them before setting up his gun. M'gann did the same, and fixed a guard in her sight. Not a moment later, the village was barraged by the soldiers. Those positioned on the cliffs opened fire, not holding back as they rained bullets on the opposing forces below. As the groundworkers advanced through the village, so did the sharpshooters. No sooner had the last man cleared one section of the village, when the snipers grabbed their guns and moved to the next point. Soon, all immediate threats were neutralized, and the groundsmen set to work searching the houses.

M'gann and those on the cliffs waited for information that would determine what the next move would be. It wasn't long before they received the exact information they were waiting for.

"_He's not here!" _Captain Fip, who was working with the groundworkers, radioed the entire group. _ "We've searched every house in the lower and middle sections, and we're working on the upper section. We're not going to be able to clear all of the houses alone. We need the sharpshooters to scout the uppermost houses. And hurry! They've called in reinforcements!" _Fip's voice cut out of the transmission.

Macl'nn stood and called his team to attention. "Split into groups! We need a team on each house above the upper line." Everyone split off. Macl'nn heard the roar of incoming air-ships and made an unprofessional and emotional decision. "M'orzz! I want you to stick with me." M'gann nodded and joined her captain. Macl'nn stole a quick glance to the lower sectors of the village, noting how the Green forces were literally tearing the place apart. It wouldn't be long before they collided with the ground forces. The small group of groundsmen wouldn't stand a chance.

Macl'nn sighed, dread settling over his mind. He had known Fip most of his service, and knew what the other captain would want Macl'nn to do in case of Fip's… unplanned retirement.

"J'ronn! We'll need your help. Stick with me!" Macl'nn tried to ignore what this decision implied. Though he looked confused, J'ronn obeyed Macl'nn's orders. The sharpshooters quickly made their way to the upper end and descended the cliffs, spreading throughout the upper ring.

The first house they hit was occupied, by both soldiers and civilians. The family ran quickly, but the five soldiers held their ground. Macl'nn pulled up immediately upon entering and put two bullets through two soldiers' heads. M'gann stole into the kitchen, crouching by a table. Two more soldiers were there, loading their weapons. She stood quickly, shooting one in the chest. The other soldier already had his gun loaded, and fired. Thankfully, the bullet only nicked M'gann in the wrist, but a nerve was struck, and she found she couldn't hold her gun. It clattered to the floor, and she jumped out of the way as the soldier fired again. The soldier cornered her, holding her down by jamming his foot into her stomach. He raised his gun, ready to fire, when a bullet pierced his chest from behind. Immediately, the solder's lungs filled with blood, and he fell. Behind him stood J'ronn, gun still aimed. He lowered his weapon and walked over to help M'gann up, grabbing her by her uninjured wrist. "Be careful." J'ronn said as he turned to search some of the house. She went in the other direction, checking the rooms on the first floor, when a noise behind her reminded her that there were _five _soldiers when they entered the house. A quick scan showed only four bodies. She ran to where the noise came from to find a Green soldier, his back to her, leveling his aim at J'ronn's back as the latter crept up the stairs. An instant later, the Green soldier fell, two bullets slicing through his neck. M'gann turned and saw Macl'nn standing to her right, his gun raised as well as her own. A crisis averted, the searching of the house went by quickly. No sign of the lieutenant.

To everyone's relief and disappointment, the next three houses were completely empty. When they approached one of the last houses, Macl'nn signaled for the other two to proceed with caution. The captain slowly slinked to the window and stole a glance inside. When he learned all he needed to learn, he joined the others in an alley not too far away.

"Eight soldiers. They wouldn't put that much guard on a house unless they had something worth guarding."

"Eight?" M'gann hissed. Macl'nn raised a hand to silence her.

"Yes. We'll each take a window, but be careful not to shoot each other. Try to get as many as you can with the element of surprise. Hopefully, there won't be too many left by the time they catch on." J'ronn and M'gann nodded and took places at the windows.

Concealed by shadows, the three raised guns and took aim. _"On me."_ Macl'nn whispered over the communicator. There was a long, tense moment as everyone waited for the captain to take the first shot. When the first soldier went down, everyone opened fire.

By the time the smoke cleared, there were only two of the eight left standing. Neither of them had quite come to grips, and Macl'nn took care of each of them quickly and quietly.

"Fan out! Quickly! Green reinforcements have most likely already taken the middle and lower sections."

A search of the first level of the house proved fruitless. However, when they made it to the second level, Macl'nn's earlier statement proved true. J'ronn opened a closet to find the missing lieutenant, bound, gagged, and unconscious on the floor. Macl'nn pushed the man out of the way, picking up G'ro'gnn over his shoulder. "We need to radio the others! Everyone needs to regroup at the air-lifts." J'ronn said. Macl'nn, though worried over the possibility that there may not be any others, nodded. However, Captain Fip beat them to the punch.

"_Macl'nn! Come in!"_ his voice crackled over the communicator. Macl'nn, grateful to hear his friend's voice, answered. "Yes, Fip! What is it?"

The next word left them frozen in shock.

"_Bombs!"_ After a pause, in which Fip probably had to dodge an immediate disaster, he continued. _"They've sent in air-raids! Lower section's already toast! Get out of th-"_

Static.

Macl'nn and J'ronn rushed to the balcony. Sure enough, the entire lower and middle sections were alight with flame. Even some of the upper section had caught fire.

No one could survive that.

The only thing that the two men could do was watch as their forces, their _families_ for the past years, burned. M'gann stood there, the light burning her eyes, when she caught sight of dark shapes moving through the sky. More air-ships.

"We need to go!" She said, grabbing the two by the wrists and dragging them inside. Once the explosions were out of their immediate line of vision, they snapped out of their trance.

"We need to make it to the outskirts of the upper section! Get out of their way!" Macl'nn ordered, but his voice held a sort of lost, desperate tone. With G'ro'gnn slung over his shoulder, he led the other two through the house and streets, until they could see the line where the buildings end, and the ground descended to a ravine below.

They barely made it to the top of the ravine when the last building in the upper section exploded.

**Longer chapter. Yay.**

**By the way, **_**everyone**_** except for M'gann, G'ro'gnn, Macl'nn, and J'ronn **_**is dead**_**. **

**Fip is not still alive. Laan is not still alive. All of the nameless characters that you assume are in the story, but are never actually mentioned, are dead. Just wanted to make that clear.**


	5. Chapter 5: G'ro'gnn

**Sorry for the delay. It's been a hard weekend.**

"Hey. Hey!" A hand shook her shoulder, roughly yet hesitantly. "Wake up!" The voice was unfamiliar, so her first instinct was to stay down, pretend to be unconscious. However, as she slowly regained her senses, it became clear to her that she was being irrational. If this person was an enemy, they would have killed her already. In situations like these, hostages were rare.

She opened her eyes, blinking at the face hovering above her. No enemy, he was a White Martian. Something about him seemed oddly familiar, but she couldn't remember why. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to erase the spots that littered her vision.

"No, don't do this again. C'mon, stay with me. I need your help." _Again_? M'gann could vaguely remember the feeling of swimming towards the surface, only to be dragged down again. She concentrated on her senses, trying to keep herself above the blackness by focusing on her physical surroundings. The voice of the man above her, the feeling of dirt underneath her… Wait, why wasn't she at home? Why was she lying on dirt? That's right, she was in the special forces. They had been on a mission…

The reality hit her hard. Her eyes shot open, and she gasped. She sat up quickly, pushing the stranger away from her.

"Hey! Calm down, you're injured. You shouldn't be moving quickly just yet."

M'gann regarded the other soldier with inquisitive eyes. He was a soldier, that much she could tell by his uniform, or what was left of it. His shirt was nearly gone, revealing multiple bruises and gashes. His pants were intact, but there was a long tear in the thigh and a hole in the knee, along with other small holes, almost all of which were bloodstained. He was shockingly thin, which said something for his health, since Martians could always shift into a healthier form. His hair was shaggy and dark, and he was unshaven, most likely due to lack of maintenance. All of his energy had been used to stay alive.

_That's right. He's the hostage._ M'gann remembered the man who had been unconscious on the closet floor. Macl'nn had carried him out of the village before the air-raids came in-

"Where are they?" M'gann gasped, rocking forward onto her knees. The quick movement jarred her, and she stayed hunched over for a few moments, trying not to vomit. The hostage, G'ro'gnn, lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. As soon as she felt she could speak, M'gann turned her head to G'ro'gnn. "Macl'nn and J'ronn. Where are they?" G'ro'gnn nodded to a spot behind her. Slowly, she pushed herself into a standing position. Macl'nn and J'ronn were both still unconscious, lying on the ground a short distance away from each other. They both had wounds covering their body from the flying shrapnel and debris that resulted from the explosion. These wounds had been patched, albeit messily, but the two men showed no signs of awakening. Seeing her comrades' wounds made M'gann think of her own, and she raised a hand to her head, where she could feel the rough bandage material. When she drew away, her fingers were slick with dark blood. A wave of dizziness swept over her, and G'ro'gnn had to catch her before she hit the ground. "Maybe you should lie down again." He propped her against a rock. After reapplying more bandages, G'ro'gnn left M'gann to check Macl'nn and J'ronn again. He came back to the Martian girl, shaking his head. "They're not waking up."

"They're not ready." M'gann whispered to herself. G'ro'gnn started, surprised by her statement. "What do you mean?"

M'gann closed her eyes. "Captain Fip called J'ronn his 'second-in-command'. He was J'ronn's mentor. And, Captain Macl'nn… I'd always heard him talk about Captain Fip. They were close, brothers almost." G'ro'gnn sat back, listening to M'gann. She continued; "He radioed us from the middle section, right when we found you. Told us about the air-raids. He was still talking, warning us… then the bombs got him." G'ro'gnn understood what M'gann was trying to say, and filled in the rest for her. "Grief takes a toll on the mind," he said. "I've heard of people losing loved ones in accidents similar to these. Sometimes…"

"They don't wake up. My brother." M'gann recalled the story of her brother's death, when he died from the loss of both blood and will to live. They lapsed into silence for a moment. "But… not them." M'gann's statement came out as more of a question. "Macl'nn and J'ronn… they're stronger than that."

G'ro'gnn just nodded.

Macl'nn woke up some time later. He nudged J'ronn, urging the man to come back to consciousness. Both of them stared at the scene that greeted them. M'gann lay against a rock, wrapped in fresh bandages. G'ro'gnn sat with his back against the other side of the rock, chin resting on his chest as he slept. His own bandages were slightly dirty and bloody. He held in his hands the last shreds of bandages.

* * *

><p>"This could work to our advantage." J'ronn's voice jarred the rest from their private thoughts. Once all eyes were on him, expecting him to continue, he did so; "If everyone thinks we're dead, we could work even more covertly. Get information from the inside." He looked to Macl'nn for approval. It had been less than a day since everyone had finally woken up completely and come to terms with everything that had happened. J'ronn seemed to feel that, now that his captain was gone, it only made sense that leadership be passed to his best friend. J'ronn treated Macl'nn with the same respect that he had for Fip.<p>

Macl'nn chewed thoughtfully on one of the coarse pieces of food that had been stored inside of their packs. "I definitely see where you're coming from. From what I can tell, getting the bits-and-pieces from the radio, it's been assumed that there were no survivors of the…" Though he _had _come to terms, speaking of the occurrence was still difficult. He continued; "As long as we stay quiet and keep out of sight, operating under the radar would be simple. Nobody expects a ghost to crash a party."

The four survivors made an unspoken pact that day. Together, they had endured what few could even hope to survive. The simple fact that they were there, sitting together, discussing their plans, made them a team. Their bonds were something that wouldn't be broken, no matter how hard others might try to tear them apart.

Of course, that wouldn't keep those others from trying.

**It's not over. Believe me. I've still got one or two more flashback chapters. After that, we can get back to the real story. But, honestly, is anyone enjoying this? I'd like reviews.**


	6. Chapter 6: N'kai

**This chapter was hard to type on account of the fact that I jammed my finger in practice yesterday, and it hurts to type.**

Silence. There was nothing but silence for so long, the four couldn't help but wonder if the connection had been lost. Then, a voice crackled over the line.

"_You are shitting me."_ N'kai's voice held tones of incredulity and astonishment. Macl'nn picked up the radio, holding a button and speaking into it; "Yes, N'kai, it's really us."

"_What about the air-raids? Macl'nn, we thought we'd lost _everyone_ there. How in hell did you manage to survive?" _Macl'nn sighed, shortly reliving the events of that fateful mission all those months ago. "We found your man right when the raids started. He's here, by the way. M'orzz, from my force, and J'ronn from Fip's, the four of us were the only survivors. Managed to get to the edge of town. We were injured, yes, but we weren't caught in the middle of the blast." More silence. _"What have you been doing all this time?"_ N'kai asked. "Covert work." Macl'nn stated simply. "Which is why we're making contact. General W'son of the Green forces is making a public appearance to execute some White prisoners. This is the first time he's made an appearance in a long time, despite being a huge public figure. If we could 'eliminate' him, it would be a huge blow to them. But we would need a much bigger crew than just us four. We can get you guys to the inside."

There were voices in the background, most likely N'kai discussing the proposed task with others. After a moment, his voice sounded through the radio again.

"_Talk to me."_

* * *

><p>"One minute, fourty-seven seconds. Get ready." M'gann whispered. There were five of them stationed in the room above the plaza where W'son would make his appearance. Macl'nn was there, but the other three were not part of the group, just being men from N'kai's Green guards who had been stationed there were lying on the ground, unconscious. With any luck, they wouldn't wake up until the ordeal was long over. "One." M'gann called. Everyone set up their guns then. Seconds later, W'son exited the building across and walked to the center of the plaza, flagged by henchmen. "Wait." Macl'nn said, both to M'gann and over the radio. "Don't shoot unless you have a clear shot." M'gann's finger twitched against the trigger, waiting for just the right moment. She was shaken from her concentration when J'ronn's voice came through the communicator. <em>"Wait." <em>He sounded almost panicked. _"What's that?"_

Rising up from behind the building behind where W'son had exited was a single air-ship. There were rocket launchers attached to the sides, and the rockets were aimed _straight for them_.

"_We've been found out! Clear out of the building!" _J'ronn shouted. Frantic thumps from both above and below showed that the other soldiers were running. M'gann stood up, leaving her gun, and made for the door. She stopped when she realized Macl'nn was still at the window. "Captain! We have to leave!" She rushed forwards, grabbing him by the arm. He pushed her off. "Trust me, M'orzz. I know what I'm doing." M'gann shot a nervous glance to the air-ship, which looked like it was preparing to shoot. "Whatever you're doing, you better do it fast." She said. The next couple of seconds seemed to freeze. She let out the breath she had been holding when she heard Macl'nn whisper; "There."

Down below, W'son flew sideways as the bullet penetrated his skull. M'gann watched as panic overtook the crowds below. Macl'nn's fingers closed around her wrist, tugging her towards the door. He shoved her in front of him just as the windows behind them exploded. The building collapsed, pinning the two underneath rubble. M'gann's senses seemed to sharpen at this time, and she could feel every small touch. The doorframe that had her arm pinned. The shard of glass that was slicing into her shoulder-blade. The rock that was crushing her ankle. For the longest time, nothing but pain filled her mind. And then, relief. The materials covering her were removed, one by one. The doorframe was gone, leaving her left arm free. The rock was moved, and she realized that her ankle wasn't crushed, just bruised. The shard of glass was yanked from her shoulder blade, replaced by soft bandages and compresses. She could feel herself being lifted into someone's arms, carried to a stretcher. Her eyelids opened slowly, trying to keep her above the sleep that begged to claim her. She was fighting a losing battle. She turned her head to see what else was being moved, looking for her captain. What she saw shocked her into unconsciousness. Macl'nn was also being carried by a stretcher. While most of him was simply covered in cuts and bruises, one wouldn't take note of that for his leg. Or rather, the burnt, bloody, mangled mess that sat attached to where his right leg should have been.

* * *

><p>Five people sat around the room in the headquarters for the South squadron of the White army. N'kai, recently promoted, sat at a desk in the middle of the room, going over a set of papers in front of him. M'gann, J'ronn, and G'ro'gnn sat in chairs in front of the desk, anxiously awaiting N'kai's verdict. Off to the side, Macl'nn sat in another chair. His leg hadn't healed right, would never heal right, and he was forced to walk with the aid of a cane, which was resting by his side.<p>

N'kai finally sighed, massaging his temples to relieve tension. "I'm not sure." He said. The three in front of him groaned and slumped in their chairs, momentarily defeated. "Why not?" G'ro'gnn asked. N'kai looked over the papers briefly again, shaking his head. "There's just not a strong enough case on your part."

It had been a little more than a month since the events immediately succeeding W'son's death. With the exception of Macl'nn due to his lamed leg, the soldiers that had made up the covert task force were ready to get back on the field. However, standard procedure for matters such as these would be for the soldiers to be distributed among other forces, most likely never to see each other again. J'ronn, despite his skill, wasn't eligible to be a captain, and the group was forced to break up. Unless, that is, if they could appeal to the court to become their own team, officially this time. According to N'kai, though, the outlook for such a case being approved was looking bleak.

N'kai sighed again and leaned back. "You don't have a captain. You only have three people, period! No way this would go through first court, much less High court."

"Can't you testify in our case? You know as well as any of us what this group is capable of." M'gann said. N'kai shrugged. "I could try, but I really don't think it could help."

Macl'nn, who had been sitting quietly the whole time, spoke up. "What about a specialized force?"

N'kai paused. He contemplated the implication of Macl'nn's inquiry. "Do you really think they could handle it?" The mood in the room instantly lightened. "Handle what? M'gann asked. N'kai immediately shook his head. "No, no. A specialized force requires a commander-"

"Who doesn't actually have to go in the field." Macl'nn interrupted. N'kai shot him a look before continuing; "And there must be at least _four_ men operable in the field." J'ronn thought for a moment. "If we can get one more person, could you make our case?"

N'kai stood up. "Probably. Now, I have another meeting I must attend. Are we done here?"

"What happens now?" M'gann said, stopping N'kai. "Until we find another member, do we stay together, or are we still sorted?"

N'kai paused at the door. "I can try to postpone your separation for a short while. If you four are serious about this, you'd better get on finding your new member. And fast."

**I wanted to continue from here, but I figured 1,322 words in the body of the story was enough. This keeps getting longer and longer. I'm sorry.**

**Does this entertain you? At all? Does any of this make any sense? Just tell me, "Yes".**


	7. Chapter 7: Arb'ska

**Good news! I can type once more. My finger isn't broken.**

J'ronn entered the training room in what could only be described as a "funk". He knew that they needed to find a new member soon. It had been days since they met with N'kai, and time was running out. Already, the dreaded separation had been postponed far past regulation. He sighed as he put his equipment in his locker. When he turned around, he was met with a puzzling sight. M'gann was in a class in the headquarter building, trying to meet her educational requirements so she could get a travel pass, which would allow her to participate in interplanetary travel. Her class wouldn't get out for another five minutes. Macl'nn was most likely with N'kai, getting a crash-course for intel-management so he could be a proper commander, should the opportunity arise. This training room was cleared for only their group, which meant G'ro'gnn would be the only one there. So why, J'ronn wondered, were there two people standing by the monitors?

"G'ro'gnn." His call was between a statement and a question. Both men turned. G'ro'gnn, tall, thin, and relatively clean-shaven, was clearly recognized. The other man was not as neatly put together. His face was unshaven and his hair was dark and styled with something that could be called a "cow-lick". He was slightly shorter than G'ro'gnn and J'ronn, but much more thickly built. His sleeveless shirt showed large arms covered with markings, which were expressively forbidden among soldiers. Upon further scrutinizing, J'ronn noted that the markings weren't "shiftable". He'd seen markings like these before. The people would burn and ink themselves, so that the raw skin from the burns would absorb the ink, making it permanent. J'ronn kept his face calm as he turned to G'ro'gnn. "What the hell?"

G'ro'gnn shrugged. "I thought it was my turn to look for a new teammate." J'ronn groaned. "It was. But _this,_"he waved his hand at the newcomer, "Is the best you could find?"

The other man bristled under J'ronn's harsh judgement. G'ro'gnn held up his hands to bring peace. "Yes. And, by that, I mean he is the _best_. I've never seen a man who fights with more ferocity and drive." J'ronn raised an eyebrow at G'ro'gnn's choice of words. G'ro'gnn laughed shortly. "I've never seen a _man_ who fights with more ferocity and drive than he. _Soldier_, however, is a different matter."

"What do you mean?" the rookie asked. J'ronn addressed him for the first time. "What do you know about why you're here?" A shrug. "Not much. G'ro'gnn told me that he might have a position for me on a specialized force."

"You don't know who'd be on the force with you?" J'ronn asked.

"I know him." the newbie gestured to G'ro'gnn. "And, I'm guessing you, since you're showing so much interest. I've heard our commander is Macl'nn, though he won't be on the field, 'cause of his leg. But…" When the newcomer trailed off, J'ronn cut his eyes to G'ro'gnn, cracking a smile. He knew what was coming. "I don't know about the last member, though. Aren't there supposed to be at least four? Where's the last of you?"

"Here." A loud clang came from the lockers when M'gann slammed the door. "M'orzz! Your timing is impeccable." J'ronn called. He had to fight not to laugh at the new guy's incredulous expression. M'gann approached the group, already eyeing the rookie. He grit his teeth as she gave him the once-over. "G'ro'gnn, this is who you chose?" G'ro'gnn nodded. M'gann looked the new guy in the eyes. "What's your name?"

"R'kar Arb'ska." He managed to hiss out between his teeth. M'gann couldn't help but note the exaggerated syllable between the "b" and "s", making the name sound like "Arb-uh-ska".

He whirled on G'ro'gnn, ready to explode. "What is this?" he asked. "You told me that I'd be joining a 'specialized' force. I thought I'd get to be part of something. I've been through the selection process _four times_. Each time, I'd be overlooked. The first time I'm actually chosen for _anything,_ and it turns out to be a _joke_." J'ronn placed a hand on his shoulder. "This team is _not _a joke." M'gann walked in front of Arb'ska. "I know what you're thinking. I'm a girl. You've no doubt heard of me. The one girl to make it to special forces. Just by looking, you automatically chalk me up as a joke." Though he was much taller than her, M'gann managed to look him in the eye. "Let me guess. A reckless act of independence left you with those marks. You're proud of them, otherwise you wouldn't show them off. However, the men making selections don't like them. They pointedly ignored you every time you went through selection. That made you mad, didn't it?" M'gann's voice softened. "No matter how hard you tried-you must have trained twice as hard as anyone else-you were always overlooked. Did you think that rebelling even more would get you what you wanted? Adding more markings to prove that they couldn't break you?" M'gann stopped there when Arb'ska shot her a look. "You don't know me."

"Enough." J'ronn stepped up and took M'gann gently by the arm, nudging her back. Once he was sure there was no threat of a fistfight breaking out between the two, he spoke to Arb'ska. "I'll admit, I had my doubts about you. But, if G'ro'gnn brought you here, there must be something worthwhile about you. Please, stay. For one day, and if you still think we're a joke, you can go."

There was a pause, like Arb'ska was considering his options. "Fine."

* * *

><p>"He's cocky." The three stood in the observation bay, watching Arb'ska navigate the obstacle course. While he was fast, he navigated the course in a careless manner. "I'm pretty sure he's been 'hit' four different times." Each of the targets was shaped like a person, and there was a camera equipped to each target at about gun-height. If someone running the course was caught in the center of the camera for too long, they were considered "hit".<p>

"_It's his first time. Besides, there's a certain kind of attitude he possesses. G'ro'gnn, you did a good job picking one." _Macl'nn was watching from his new office inside of the headquarters. The security feed was patched through to a screen on his desk, and he was communicating with them through radio. _"M'orzz, you should be less judgemental. He's kind of like you. You know that." _M'gann cut her eyes to J'ronn. "Yes," J'ronn said, reading her eyes. "I told him. Macl'nn's our commander. He should know of any conflicts within the group."

"_I don't want personal feelings getting in the way of a mission."_ M'gann made a noise of indignation. _"Yes, I'm putting him on the force. I've already contacted N'kai. He's taking your case tomorrow morning. I'll tell you the results as soon as I hear from him."_

**Again, I wasn't sure where to end this chapter. I don't seem to get a good grasp on exactly how long each portion I want to write will be. I **_**thought**_** I'd have more time for Arb'ska's development, but this was already past one thousand words. I don't want to overwrite a chapter, because if you're ADD, like me, you don't want to read all of that.**

**Two more flashback chapters, I think. Then, back to what's really going on.**


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter has no purpose.**

**That is, other than demonstrating the task force working together like good buddies. Just some extra character development thrown into the mix.**

Seven hours ago, they had received their first mission. Five hours ago, they had boarded the air-ship. Two hours ago, they had landed. M'gann surveyed her surroundings, which were vastly different from what her surroundings should have been. If there were a record book for this sort of thing, she felt sure this scenario would make the cut. Seven hours ago, they had a plan. In seven hours, their carefully crafted plan had fallen to absolute ruins. And now, instead of infiltrating the control center for a Green base missile launcher, she was sneaking around the wilderness, not sure how far away she was from her target, trying to keep out of sight of the patrols. She had no idea where the rest of her team was.

She pulled up and shot the oncoming patrol in the head before he could stumble upon her hiding place. She wasn't even sure if she was going in the right direction. All she could do was push forward. Once she was sure that the coast was clear, she jumped up and sprinted over the rocks. She hadn't gotten far when another patrolman came out from behind the rocks. His appearance surprised her, and her first instinct was to tuck-and-roll.

Unfortunately, the tuck-and-roll ended up landing her on the side of a steep grade that she hadn't seen. She tumbled, seemingly hitting every single sharp rock on the way down, before a particularly large rock broke her fall. Her head was reeling from the impact, but she managed to arrange herself so that a passing patrol wouldn't see her right away. That turned about to be a bad idea, since the shifty rocks gave way, and she fell down the rest of the hill. She moaned and opened her eyes, but shut up quickly when she noticed the patrolman standing a short distance away. His back was to her, and it looked like he was trying to stalk something. Slowly and carefully, she stood to see what the patrol was watching. Her breath caught when she caught sight of his target; those markings on the arms were hard to miss. Arb'ska had his back to them, making his way over the rocks. A quick scan proved that this was the only patrol in the immediate area, so she wouldn't draw unnecessary attention to herself, and, when the patrol raised his gun, M'gann didn't hesitate in putting a bullet through his spine. The noise startled Arb'ska, who turned just in time to see the patrol's body fall.

"Watch yourself, Aska." M'gann said as she joined him. Aska snorted at the nickname. "You see the others yet?" M'gann shook her head. "Do we continue anyway?" He asked.

"We do. We'll just alter the plan to fit two people instead of four. If we come upon the others, we'll just continue as we would have." Aska nodded, and the two headed for where they hoped the base to be. They hadn't gone far in silence when M'gann whispered; "By the way, you owe me one."

* * *

><p>M'gann crouched underneath the window. Aska followed suit, a few seconds behind. "Keep up. I can't wait for you." M'gann hissed. Aska just crouched next to her, barely peeking into the window. "There are too many. We'll have to find another way in." They quickly ran around the building, looking for an alternate entrance. Suddenly, a guard appeared around the corner. Aska quickly jammed the barrel of his gun to the guard's temple, and M'gann hit him in the throat with the butt of her own weapon. He fell, gasping, and Aska aimed a kick to his chest. By this point, the man was in extreme pain, so M'gann made a jab at his upper neck, rendering him unconscious. Once that was over, the two straightened up.<p>

"Well, that was unnecessary." Aska muttered. M'gann shrugged. "You can't say he wouldn't have done worse to us if we hadn't acted." This was true, and the two dropped the subject as they approached the corner. Three other guards stood on a raised deck, all of their backs to the two. M'gann motioned for Aska to follow, and they quickly and quietly dashed to the deck. There was a hole in the bottom, through which one could enter to the underside of the building. It seemed that there was a gap between a portion of the building and the ground, providing a generous crawlspace. Quickly, the two entered the tunnel. Slowly, they crawled around until they found a small crack in the floor. There was nobody in the room, so they pulled at the crack in the floor until instead of a crack, there was a hole, and soon they could pull themselves up. The room full of guards was at another end of the building. Unfortunately, that room would most likely be where they needed to go.

"How, exactly, do you propose we do this?" Aska grunted.

"Quickly and efficiently." M'gann whispered, ignoring the resulting grumble of "That's not what I meant…" from her comrade. "Cover me." With that, she edged around the doorway, gun pointed towards their enemies at all times. As soon as she had an opening, she ran inside, opening fire and taking out a many opponents as she could. Aska was right behind her. The two fought mercilessly until it seemed that they would be overpowered. There were simply too many of them. Aska was tackled, and one caught M'gann by the throat and shoved her against a wall, trying to break her neck. She couldn't get out of his crushing grip. Just as the world began to go black, there was a thump and a crunch, and the grip slackened. She slumped to the floor, shaking the stars from her eyes. Fingers, gentle this time, checked her neck for a pulse. Hands shook her, trying to get her to open her eyes. When she did, she saw J'ronn before her. G'ro'gnn attended to Aska, who was still reeling from a hard hit to the head. J'ronn turned and nodded to G'ro'gnn, indicating that M'gann was okay. G'ro'gnn helped Aska up. M'gann rose shakily to her feet, trying to make out what G'ro'gnn was saying. "…Took quite a beating. Only got here to see you get taken down, but the body count in here shows that you two were clearly at the top of your game."

Only then did M'gann notice the injuries that she and Aska had sustained. Gashes and bruises practically covered each of their bodies, and burn marks on Aska's shoulders showed to be results of a few near-misses with a round of bullets. Still, they were alive, and that's what mattered.

The computer remained intact, for the most part, and J'ronn quickly entered some codes and contacted Macl'nn.

"We're in. Ready?"

"_Yes. What happened? We lost contact with you guys for a while."_

"Must've scrambled the radio. We were ambushed practically upon landing. I thought this mission was air-tight."

"_Well, every mission has its holes, but it's surprising that they were informed of this… We'll be looking into it."_

"Good. Do you have all of the information?"

"_All files received. We have everything we need from this computer. Proceed to the pick-up zone."_

"Got it." The radio cut out. J'ronn turned to the others. "We have everything we need. Time to go."

Before they left, Aska unhooked something from his belt and placed it on the computer. The device started beeping immediately. When he saw the questioning glances from his teammates, he shrugged. "You said we had all we need. What's the harm in messing the Greens up a little bit?"

**Oh, Aska. You're so blunt. **

**One more chapter (I hope) until flashbacks are over!**

**Okay, I have a poll. I want everyone to tell me their favorite characters so far, 'kay? I really would like to know. So, review with the name of your favorite character from the story.**


	9. Chapter 9: Col'nn

**Warning! This chapter is over two thousand words long!**

**I'm sorry, I just figured you guys wouldn't want me to extend the flashback **_**another**_** chapter. Honestly, this ends it. The flashback ends with this chapter. I promise.**

"No!" M'gann shouted, slamming her hand on the desk. "You can't do this!" Sh'parr regarded the girl with cold eyes. "I can and I will."

Six people were in the room. The four field members of the task force stood in front of a grand desk. Sh'parr himself sat at the desk, and behind him, Col'nn watched on, sighing at the elder's harshness. J'ronn stepped up. "Sir, please. You can't separate us." Sh'parr rolled his eyes. "You seem to forget, I'm the head of this section. You are under my jurisdiction."

"Macl'nn would never have let this happen." G'ro'gnn grumbled. Sh'parr whipped his head towards him. "Well, Macl'nn's _not here. _In accordance with the _rules_, in the absence of a commander or captain, the team is to be split and distributed among other teams."

"You say that like Macl'nn's dead." M'gann whispered. Sh'parr sighed. "As far as we know, he could be."

"He would have wanted us to stay together!" Aska, who hadn't spoken since they had been called into the office, suddenly exploded. "He fought for us to be a team! You can't just tear that apart!"

Col'nn stepped forward. "Stand down, soldier! The matter has been decided." He walked to the front of the desk and dismissed the four. "It's… it's time for you to leave. Your reassignments will arrive in the morning.

* * *

><p>M'gann's first new mission was the next day. She was the first one to be reassigned. Col'nn had addressed her himself, instructing her and her new force and the mission they would be partaking in. A siege of the Foundry, a large factory and headquarters for a section of Green militia.<p>

Her new force was different. Each of the men were cookie-cutter soldiers, never stepping out of line. They didn't like her. She was different. She was a girl, she didn't wear the usual uniform, and she didn't fight like they did.

She was alone.

She missed her old force. They understood each other. They actually _talked_ during air-ship rides, instead of just sitting at attention. While these soldiers sat, arms at their sides, straight backed on their benches, she leaned forward, resting her head in her hands. The communicator in her ear was controlled by a small remote attached to her belt, and she entertained herself by clicking through the settings. She caught bits and pieces of random conversations, none of them interesting.

"_Careful… hold it steady…"_

"…_Don't see why we have…"_

"…_Get home. He isn't ready…"_

"_Ready the missiles."_

M'gann started at the last one. The voice was familiar, but she couldn't quite think of who it belonged to. She listened again.

"_Should be arriving at the landing zone in a few minutes. Fire as soon as they're in sight."_

"_Are you sure? That they'll be there?" _Another voice. M'gann gasped. This person, she knew. It was none other than Green General Cr'son, son of the late General W'son.

"_Of course."_ The first voice said. _"I assigned them to this mission myself."_

M'gann felt sick. Something sinister was going on, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it, unless she could figure out who that first voice was. She was lost in thought, and it barely registered when the captain called; "Approaching landing zone." It took time for the phrase to reach her consciousness, but, when it did, another piece of her puzzle fit into place. However, there was no time. There was a cry from the cockpit, and then a fiery explosion. Right before M'gann lost consciousness, she realized whose voice it had been.

Col'nn.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ambushed. The soldiers that I sent on the mission to the Foundry were ambushed before landing. Shot down with missiles. No survivors."<em>

Aska, G'ro'gnn, and J'ronn had been sitting around the radio, waiting for news on the mission M'gann had been sent on. There was complete silence when Col'nn's announcement came through. Nobody even breathed. After an eternity, G'ro'gnn stood up and walked over to the wall. He leaned against it, breathing heavily. Aska stood up, kicked the radio, and pounded his fists at the wall. He only stopped when J'ronn, who had been sitting, quietly and still, slowly stood. "The memorial will be tomorrow. I trust that you two will be there." Though he was addressing the two, his eyes were on the floor. He walked to the door, opened it, and left.

* * *

><p>The service was short. Nobody gave testimonies, nobody talked. The purpose was to pay homage to the dead, no extra emotion necessary. Once the memorial was over, that was usually the last anyone ever heard of those who gave their lives. The only thing left to do would be clean out their rooms to make way for newcomers. Anything of value will be sent to the families; everything else was thrown away.<p>

The three remaining members of the task force stood outside the door, looking inside to M'gann's room. It wasn't the first time that they had seen her room, but now, without her in it, the place was foreign.

G'ro'gnn sighed. "Well," he took a step forward, "Let's get this over wi-" He was cut off by Aska, who placed an arm in front of G'ro'gnn. "No."

"No?" G'ro'gnn sighed. "Look, postponing the inevitable is _not_ how to do this."

"No." Aska said again. "We can't do this. Not yet. We've been through too much." He turned and looked G'ro'gnn in the eye. "We can't give up on her now."

"They said there were no survivors! Don't disillusion yourself!"

"That still doesn't give us the right to do this. Do you really want to erase her?" Aska said, growing quiet. G'ro'gnn sighed again. "It's not like the old force. We don't make our own rules. I don't want to do this, either, but it's protocol."

"You know, in light of recent events," J'ronn spoke up from his place behind the two. "I think we could convince N'kai to make that happen. He could plead our case, pull a few strings… we're plenty strong enough, and we wouldn't need another member. N'kai could be our commander. I'm sure he'd do it for Macl'nn and M'gann. For their memories."

"Now look who's disillusioned." Aska said. "J'ronn, what are you talking about? It'd never be allowed, no matter how high up N'kai may be. Besides, we'd still need a captain."

J'ronn cracked a smile, taking away from his usual nonchalant demeanor. "Did I forget to tell you? I've been promoted."

* * *

><p><em>Where…?<em>

The all-too-familiar feeling of rising to consciousness took hold of M'gann. Her head felt heavy, and everything seemed far away and dark, but what mattered was that there was definitely something _there_. As the tunnel-vision feeling started to fade, she started checking her surroundings. She was covered by something… a blanket, maybe? Soft fabric on top of her and beneath her. She was most likely inside, or at least in a tent. She could feel the slightly scratchy fabric of bandages at numerous places all over her body. To her shock, right as she thought this, she felt one of the bandages shift, as if someone was removing it. Fingers brushed her arm and a hand lifted it, slowly unwrapping the bandages. She was significantly confused. A wet, cool wad of fabric was wiped along a small portion of her skin. She was almost completely conscious by now, but kept her eyes closed.

She broke her façade when she felt the tip of a needle pierce her skin. With the skill of someone who'd trained extensively for every situation, she jerked her arm free and swung at where the head of the person was most likely to be. With just as much skill, he caught her wrist. The sudden stop of motion startled her into complete consciousness, and her eyes shot open. She gasped at what she saw, which soon sent her back into unconsciousness.

"Captain."

* * *

><p>It was another few days before M'gann could stay awake and properly converse with Macl'nn. Even then, she didn't do much of the talking. Macl'nn told her of his capture and imprisonment. "We're outside of the South Capital now. It's a prisoner-of-war camp, at least for now." When she asked what he meant by that, he just told her it wasn't something she needed to know.<p>

Another few days passed, and M'gann found the strength to move around on her own, if only for a little while. "Captain," she asked, "How am _I _still here? Where are the rest?" Macl'nn sighed heavily. "Most of them are still in the crash site. Dead." M'gann looked down, swallowing the bile that built up. Macl'nn continued. "Those of you who were still breathing, of which there were a handful, were brought here. A few more died, either on the way, or during the first night. The guards here aren't too picky about what we do, as long as we're still here every morning. So, when I found out there was a girl in the infirmary, I rushed over. Since there were more injured than medical staff, not to mention that the meds don't really care what happens to the injured, I decided that I would take your care into my own hands. I was worried that my minimal knowledge of medical practice was doing more hurt than harm for a while, since you were out for so long." Macl'nn's silence after that told M'gann to drop the matter.

Macl'nn sighed and leaned back. "I've got to discuss something with you, M'orzz. Do you remember when you asked me what I meant when I said that this was a POW camp, at least for now?" M'gann nodded. Macl'nn continued; "There's a prisoner negotiation going down in a few days. Certain prisoners, including myself, will be getting out of here. This decision was made before you arrived. Only those certain prisoners are getting out of here. No exceptions. The rest of the prisoners… will be killed."

M'gann felt her stomach drop. Macl'nn took in her shocked expression, reading her emotions before leaning forward. "I'm not going to lie to you, M'orzz. There were times, in the beginning, during the force, after my accident… when I wished I'd never chosen you. You were… you still _are _still young. Being in the militia has robbed you of some of the most important years." M'gann kept her head down, confused by the sudden sentimental streak that had come over her captain. "Look, Captain, I'm only fifteen-"

"Sixteen. You… missed your birthday while you were unconscious." At this point, M'gann wasn't sure if anything else could surprise her. "The war has robbed many my age of these very years." She said.

"Yes, but by their standards, this is considered relatively 'normal'." Macl'nn said. "And somehow, at thirteen, when you should have been in school, learning things like how to use your powers, _like the rest of girls your age_, you were on the battlefield, fighting to preserve the very normalcy they cherished. I could never forgive myself if I sat idly by while you were murdered by these people. I don't want you to die without living your life to the fullest."

"Captain, I have…" M'gann started. Macl'nn just grunted. "No, you haven't. You've lived these past years as a soldier. While that may be a noble thing to do, it isn't something I'd wish on anybody, least of all a young girl. You've had your life ripped out of your control. When was the last time you saw your family?" The conversation abruptly ended there, since M'gann found she couldn't answer his question.

"What I came here to talk to you about," Macl'nn spoke after a while, "Is an opportunity for you to live your life. It's risky, but I don't doubt your ability to make it happen."

"What about the rest of the prisoners?" M'gann asked. Macl'nn responded; "Look at them. Most of them are half-dead already. This experience has broken them. There's no hope. Now, listen."

M'gann listened. "You always talked about how you wanted to go to Earth. Yes, I remember. Well, the Martian Manhunter, J'onn J'onzz, has returned to Mars for a brief visit. He's scheduled to leave the morning after the negotiation. That's also the morning the prisoners are set to be killed. You need to escape on the night of the negotiation, most likely while everything is going on. Find him and convince him, whatever it takes, to let you go with him to Earth."

"And then what?" M'gann asked.

"Stay." Macl'nn said. M'gann shook her head. "No. I can't-"

"You can, and you will. That's an order from your captain."

* * *

><p>The morning of that fateful day was a dull one. Though none of the prisoners knew that the end was near,it was as if their subconscious had decided that today was the day, and didn't want to make a fuss of it.<p>

The air-ships arrived late in the evening. A prison guard went throughout the area, gathering those prisoners that would be leaving. The two could hear them coming.

"Your window of opportunity is almost here." He rose and walked to the literal window through which she would make her escape. M'gann followed. "Captain… I can't do this." He turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You can. I've taught you everything you would ever need to know. It's time for the test."

"What if I don't make it?" Her voice trembled at the thought of leaving everything she knew behind.

"I have complete faith in you." The guard was getting closer, signaling that it was time for the two to part. M'gann had one more question on her mind, though.

"Will we ever meet again? As a whole?"

Macl'nn looked her in the eyes. "Maybe. But, if not, this is goodbye." Over the years, Macl'nn had become particularly adept at making unprofessional and emotional decisions. Time after time, he'd risked whatever it took to protect those he held dear. M'gann had become a daughter to him, and he a father to her, when they lacked ones of their own. He stepped towards her and pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair.

"Goodbye." She whispered.

**The rest of the time in between this (hopefully) touching scene and M'gann's arrival on Earth will be mentioned in the next chapter, but I didn't see the need to add anything about it here. This is a pretty long chapter, huh? I'm going to ask my previous question again, since some of your opinions may have changed. The results so far are:**

**M'gann: 3 votes**

**Aska: 2 votes**

**G'ro'gnn: 1 vote**

**I'm surprised nobody said J'ronn or Macl'nn, since those two are my favorite to write.**

**So, as of this point in the story, who is your favorite character?**


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